Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Thursday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Twitch.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) @ DET (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 96 pitches.
Debatably the most enigmatic pitcher in 2026, Tatsuya Imai has visited highs and experienced lows rarely accompanied by each other within a singular season, let alone across just 11 starts. We’ve seen him fail to complete the first frame twice and walk at least four batters three times, but we’ve also been astonished by a pair of scoreless outings and three Gallows Poles.
He continued to climb his highest peak in Detroit on Thursday, turning in a start of 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 96 pitches (W). It was his second consecutive start with double-digit strikeouts and his third in his last four with more than 15 whiffs. It might be time to trust Tatsuya.
After listening to my prayers and throwing 17% changeups (likely mislabeled splitters) in his last start, I was convinced he was finally incorporating the third offering that would support his four-seamer and slider, giving me a reason to believe in future success. However, he reverted to throwing only his one-two punch on Thursday, and to my surprise, it worked wonders. Sliders missed bats beneath the zone, inducing a whopping 14 whiffs and nine strikeouts, while four-seamers snuck into the zone for 10 called strikes and a 72% strike rate. Are they really so confounding?
It makes sense that the backward breaker with its armside movement might mess with batters’ expectations, but it’s commanded so poorly, with nearly half of them landing middle-middle or above. I guess the fastball plays up thanks to his low arm angle and flat approach at 95 mph, but it lost nearly two inches of iVB (9-10″ here) outside of domed Daikin Park and has the same command issues as the slider. His intent is clearly to go BSB, but he doesn’t have the same precision as a similar successful two-pitch arm, Kyle Harrison.
Beyond the obvious command issues, which have led to volatility from start to start, he also had some unsustainable luck on his side. His four-seamer avoided damage via 15 foul balls for an insane 33% foul ball rate. Given the pitch has a mere 8% SwStr% and has served up 64% hard contact on the year, we would expect those foul balls to turn into damage as the foul ball rate regresses. Additionally, Koufax had his back, allowing him to return eight outs on 10 balls in play, despite 60% hard contact. Most importantly, we can’t expect him to keep fanning double-digit batters. He held a 67% putaway rate here after topping that with 73% in his previous outing. He entered this start with a 40% mark, and he won’t be so efficient in two-strike counts moving forward.
So, what do we do with him? Pick him up. See what happens against the Twins next before determining if we can trust him in Washington afterwards. There was a reason we were excited about him in the Spring. Maybe there’s something to his unique skillset, and all he needs to do is eclipse a 60% overall strike rate to achieve his obviously high ceiling. It’ll feel precarious as long as he maintains his suspect command without showcasing a supporting tertiary pitch, but let’s get messy and trust the guy with a 29% strikeout rate this year. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Ian Seymour (TB) vs KCR (W) – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.
Every great act has an opener. Seymour was the star of the show, recording 20 outs without allowing a hit, as he did what every SWATCH does – throw a bunch of changeups. He kept slowballs down and armside, surprised with four-seamers upstairs, filled the gaps with sweepers, and relied upon sinkers against LHB. It’s a proven approach that has not only worked briefly this year, but also produced solid ratios and a 26% strikeout rate in seven outings to close out 2025. The Royals’ lineup is compromised without Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Vinnie Pasquantino, but Seymour still had to execute the game plan to take advantage of the diminished offense. And guess what, he gets the Royals again next (Witt should be back), and I’m super down to run this back. Set your watches, it’s SWATCH time! (View Game Card)
Freddy Peralta (NYM) vs CHC (ND) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 98 pitches.
Boy, am I relieved. I was getting pretty sick of the whole Professor Chaos bit. We get it, you’re CrAzY, and anything can happen. That’s so wacky! Not really the adjective I want to describe the pitcher I drafted as an ace! Peralta reached back for a little extra, sitting 95+ in this one, allowing him to survive in the zone and produce a Philly. I don’t think that’s enough to suggest we’re out of the water. My fingers are so pruny. We saw the velo uptick two starts ago, but it preceded his last outing when he allowed 10 runs. So, unless he can hold 95 mph, we can’t trust it as an indicator of future success. Furthermore, changeups failed to miss bats despite great command against LHB, while his trio of breakers combined for 45% strikes with just 3/29 whiffs. The lack of secondary support has been his biggest issue this year, and with it still absent, we can’t say he’s fully back. We still start him in Toronto next, but he’s not shaking that HIPSTER label anytime soon. (View Game Card)
Cam Schlittler (NYY) @ BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. He had a fortunate scoring decision on a 113 mph laser down the line ruled an error, allowing him to write off four earned runs. This was in Boston, so I don’t know why the scorer had the rival pitcher’s back, but we’ll happily take this pristine ERA in fantasy leagues. They’re rigging the AL Cy Young Award for him! He’d have an even 2.00 ERA if all of those runs scored, and really, who’s competing with him? (View Game Card)
Matthew Boyd (CHC) @ NYM (ND) – 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 76 pitches.
This was a Still ILL and if you had the four-sight to avoid this, you were probably happy. Staying on theme, Boyd had a good feel for his four-seamer upstairs, but everything else combined for 50% strikes as he’s still trying to recover his command. He did enough with sliders away to LHB (six whiffs) and changeups low to RHB (three whiffs), making me comfortable enough to trust him against the LHP-prone Padres ahead. (View Game Card)
Troy Melton (DET) vs HOU (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 88 pitches.
Melton averaged 97 mph with four-seamers and had increased velo across the board, sitting over two ticks up to 93 mph on cutters and adding nearly three ticks to sliders at 88-89 mph. That’s capital D Dope! It allowed him to overwhelm with four-seamers and cutters upstairs, as they combined for 10 whiffs, leading to a season-high six punchouts. We’ve been waiting for Melton to prove he’s more than a Toby. A ceiling of six Ks doesn’t quite shake the label, but if he maintains this velo, he’s going to have plenty of outings where he dominates. Let’s hope this wasn’t a fluke as he gets a real test @NYY next. (View Game Card)
Bubba Chandler (PIT) vs SEA (W) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 75 pitches.
That’s four straight starts with two earned runs or fewer from Chandler, and it’s got many wondering if we can finally trust him not to hurt us. He looked pretty darn good here, with four-seamers at 99+ mph sitting at the top of the zone consistently (dope) and sliders filling up the zone with nearly two extra ticks at 91-92 mph with 46% usage to RHB (dope). However, they combined for just 17% CSW as he failed to miss bats. Is that dope? Only if you’re in a worst-ball league. He’s eclipsed double-digit whiffs just once during this “hot streak”, failing to showcase the strikeout ceiling that got us hyped last year. I don’t think this Toby version of Chandler is real, nor do I think the ceiling is worth chasing with the floor he’s displayed. The command is simply too poor. Don’t let the recent results distract you from his yellow and black plaid shirt. (View Game Card)
Connelly Early (BOS) vs NYY (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 98 pitches.
Early was hyped to face the rival Yankees, sitting a tick up across his arsenal and attacking the zone with reckless abandon. He went unpunished despite chaotic command that was mitigated by his willingness to live in the zone. Finding himself in two-strike counts often, he capitalized with a season-high nine strikeouts, four of which came on his 95 mph four-seamer. This is the ceiling we’ve been wanting to see from him to believe in a future where he’s not just a low-end Holly. The Shag Rug prevents us from trusting him to remove his HIPSTER label, but he’s been super reliable all year despite a few hiccups. Just hold your breath. He strikes me as more of a drinking water upside-down type of guy. (View Game Card)
Cade Cavalli (WSN) vs PHI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 97 pitches.
Cousin Cade got the memo that everyone’s throwing harder today. That meant devastating 86-87 mph hammer curveballs paired with overwhelming 97 mph four-seamers. The one-two punch combined for 12 whiffs and 37% CSW despite suspect command. It’s still Empty Velocity on the heaters, and he breaks the Huascar Rule without legit support for his elite hook. There were four pitches that hinted at an effort to add a cutter and slider. I don’t think that would be a game-changer, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. (View Game Card)
Landen Roupp (SFG) vs ATH (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 108 pitches.
Check out the game card linked at the end of this blurb to see the absolutely gorgeous pitch separation Roupp deployed against LHB. Sinkers, four-seamers, and cutters stayed upstairs with changeups and curveballs landing low, and absolutely nothing in between. The genesis of his success has been the improvement of his sinker command, as he’s gone north-south instead of east-west as he did in 2025. He’s well-versed in curveball success, but should take pride in his fastball improvements. (View Game Card)
MacKenzie Gore (TEX) @ TOR (W) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 98 pitches.
The keys to Gore’s 10-K performance disappeared immediately. Did you check under the couch cushions? Not the car keys. Did you try retracing your steps? I’ll ask if he’s done that. His four-seamer velo is back down to 95 mph (was up to 96), and its HAVAA remains 1.2, after briefly living at 1.5. It dominated regardless, with seven whiffs and 33% CSW as he was unafraid to live in the zone. However, secondaries didn’t help out like they should have, as changeups were barely touched (4% usage), and curveballs returned sub-60% strikes. Luckily, cutters and sliders stepped up to combine for 72% strikes, supporting the heater enough to get it through the seventh. I found the keys! Where? They were sitting right next to the hook and slowball! Get them to Gore ASAP! At his peak, changeups were inducing multiple whiffs, and curveballs were landing in the zone at will, with a strike rate peaking over 80%. Until we see him with consistent secondary support, he’ll be the epitome of what it means to be a HIPSTER. (View Game Card)
Bryce Miller (SEA) @ PIT (L) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 90 pitches.
Free from the shackles of the piggyback, Miller displayed his ace upside. This wasn’t a game of his signature four-seamer taking over, but rather splitters and curveballs eating LHB up at the bottom of the zone. They combined for 12 whiffs and 44% CSW, giving his elite heater the proper support it deserves and propelling him to the Gallows Pole. If not for a pair of homers and an inflated 28% overall foul ball rate, this start would’ve been the talk of the town. Did you hear about that Bryce Miller start? Yeah! He’s so dope and makes us feel dope. Through eight outings, he has a 1.97 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and a 30% K-BB%. Those are ace numbers, and if not for the piggyback making us question his workload, I’d be sounding the trumpets for his coronation. (View Game Card)
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) @ SFG (ND) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 87 pitches.
Springs was on track to bring about festive June sunshine and rainbows, but a walk and single with one out in the sixth knocked him out of the game and led to two inherited runners scoring. Careful, Icarus. His changeup command was exceptional low and armside in this one, and in concert with sliders constantly finding the zone and four-seamers living upstairs with a solid 17″ of vert, he turned in his best start in weeks. Welp! It’s back to the wire as he hosts the Dodgers in his next outing. (View Game Card)
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) @ WSN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna allow four runs in the first, then lock in for four frames of one-run ball while fanning six batters. Other than a solo shot to the second batter he faced, he was Singled Out, as every other hit he allowed was a single. I’m happy to see the whiffs return and expect him to get back to doing ace things right away. (View Game Card)
Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs TEX (L) – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 99 pitches.
Not again! Gausman allowed seven runs in the first frame in his last start. On Thursday, he escaped the first frame after serving up a leadoff homer, but allowed five runs in the third via two more long balls. Luckily, he was able to salvage a few more innings out of this one to lessen the impact of his awful ratios, but it’s been rough recently. He’s allowed at least four runs in four of his last five starts, serving up seven homers in that time, which equals the total he allowed across his first 13 starts. Ultimately, I think his HOTEL will regress to his career rates and we’ll stop seeing so many homers and so few batters stranded, but we may have to start thinking of him as more of a Cherry Bomb. (View Game Card)
Seth Lugo (KCR) @ TBR (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 90 pitches.
Yikes! Lugo couldn’t keep the ball in the yard, coughing up three dingers, two of which came off the bat of Junior Caminero in the midst of a three-homer game. As evidenced by a strike zone plot that looks like it attended a color run, he didn’t command his kitchen sink well at all. It feels like his run as one of the game’s most reliable Tobys is coming to an end. His signature curveball doesn’t have the same effect at 77 mph. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Luis Castillo vs. Joey Cantillo – Cantillo vs Castillo! Besides the fun name comparison, I want to see Cantillo showcase the increased velocity that propelled him to a Golden Goal last time.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
